False Teachings...

Revelations 2:20-23 (NIV)

Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Devotional:

Knowing who to listen to can be hard sometimes.  There are prophets and teachers, and there are false prophets and false teachers.  Knowing who is legit and who isn’t can become mind-boggling.  Do you struggle with whom to listen to?  Maybe you are a teacher and are concerned.  It is no light task to be a teacher.  Those who are teachers and prophets are held to very high and strict standards.  James 3:1 (NIV) “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”  Also Matthew 7:15 (NASB) states:

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

As daunting as it seems you can rest assured in whom to listen to.  Compare what is taught to what the Bible says.  Sounds too easy huh.  Know that there have been false prophets and false teachers since the first churches began, OK and even before that.  They will come but we can know the wolves from the sheep.  Look at their lives and look at what they teach.  If it stacks up with the Bible then you are good to go.  If not then don’t listen.  It is time to move on.

If you teach others compare what you would say to what the Bible says.  If you take directly from the scriptures and do not deviate you will be safe and will teach good sound doctrine.  I would also advise not to take bits and pieces of scripture but take the entire content of what is said.  Too many times people like to take a part of what is said and use it to justify what they want. 

What ever you do don’t mislead others from the Bible and its teachings.  Also don’t become mislead yourself.  Compare everything to the Bible.  Seek council from someone you trust and know to be Godly…